No 'First Night' event this year | The Boneyard

No 'First Night' event this year

Rings R Us said:
I just saw on Instagram we won't have it this year due to ongoing renovations at Gampel Pavilion.

Too bad, always a weekend we try to have our top recruits attend.
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Noooooo! This is always so helpful for knowing who UConn is still actively recruiting and I think it always helps the recruits/players of interest see what playing at UConn would be like. Definitely bummed🥲
 
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Blond D. said:
Theres plenty of other buildings on campus to hold it. There's something they ain't telling us.
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Yeah, I suppose they could hold it in the student center, bringing in temporary baskets, but the players can only shoot underhand. Bummer, always look forward to this event.
 
Blond D. said:
Theres plenty of other buildings on campus to hold it. There's something they ain't telling us.
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I have had mixed reactions over this event over the last few years. Of course I always look forward to getting an early look at the team, the newcomers etc., but the screw-ups that frankly have been the norm, not the exception, over the last few years have been more of a black eye than an effective recruiting tool IMO.

I want Uconn to have a First Night that everyone affiliated with the program can be proud of, that indeed is an effective recruiting tool, not an embarrassment. The people that planned and ran the last few shouldn't have anything to do with this event in the future.

Many have said this is mostly for the students and I get that part of it, but because it is used as a recruiting tool, it needs to be well run, and it hasn't been. Let the athletic department take it over, and do it with the same professionalism and class they do everything else. They can still do it largely for the benefit of the students, but do it right.

I say do it right, or don't do it at all. That means taking control of the event away from everyone currently involved, and let the program run it in a way the school, the students, the fans, and potential recruits can all be impressed and proud of.
 
oldhusky said:
I have had mixed reactions over this event over the last few years. Of course I always look forward to getting an early look at the team, the newcomers etc., but the screw-ups that frankly have been the norm, not the exception, over the last few years have been more of a black eye than an effective recruiting tool IMO.

I want Uconn to have a First Night that everyone affiliated with the program can be proud of, that indeed is an effective recruiting tool, not an embarrassment. The people that planned and ran the last few shouldn't have anything to do with this event in the future.

Many have said this is mostly for the students and I get that part of it, but because it is used as a recruiting tool, it needs to be well run, and it hasn't been. Let the athletic department take it over, and do it with the same professionalism and class they do everything else. They can still do it largely for the benefit of the students, but do it right.

I say do it right, or don't do it at all. That means taking control of the event away from everyone currently involved, and let the program run it in a way the school, the students, the fans, and potential recruits can all be impressed and proud of.
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Oldhusky, what screw-ups are you talking about? You make a lot of generalizations - no specifics.

Last year watching the festivities from afar, it seemed to me to be like a large fun-filled, over-the-top pep rally. The size of the student turnout looked impressive, and both the players and the students appeared to be having fun. A perfect counter to any mistaken impressions that the basketball program is all business and no fun.

What exactly was missing from your perch? Legit question - inquiring minds want to know.

Any Boneyarders been to First Nights at other schools that are better?
 
Screwups or not, I always want to see the players introduced to the fan base, especially the newcomers who will be introduced to Huskymania for the first time. It's a fun way to begin the season and get us all charged up, at least it does for me. BTW, why is the roof leaking when they paid millions to repair it just a few years ago.
 
oldhusky said:
I have had mixed reactions over this event over the last few years. Of course I always look forward to getting an early look at the team, the newcomers etc., but the screw-ups that frankly have been the norm, not the exception, over the last few years have been more of a black eye than an effective recruiting tool IMO.

I want Uconn to have a First Night that everyone affiliated with the program can be proud of, that indeed is an effective recruiting tool, not an embarrassment. The people that planned and ran the last few shouldn't have anything to do with this event in the future.

Many have said this is mostly for the students and I get that part of it, but because it is used as a recruiting tool, it needs to be well run, and it hasn't been. Let the athletic department take it over, and do it with the same professionalism and class they do everything else. They can still do it largely for the benefit of the students, but do it right.

I say do it right, or don't do it at all. That means taking control of the event away from everyone currently involved, and let the program run it in a way the school, the students, the fans, and potential recruits can all be impressed and proud of.
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So you actually believe that a few 17-18 year old recruits are seriously concerned about the production value of a bunch of loud videos, music, and noise while the players jump around and socialize on the floor? Really? You obviously have no idea what a recruiting visit entails for these kids or what matters to the students at a pep rally.
 
Bald Husky said:
Screwups or not, I always want to see the players introduced to the fan base, especially the newcomers who will be introduced to Huskymania for the first time. It's a fun way to begin the season and get us all charged up, at least it does for me. BTW, why is the roof leaking when they paid millions to repair it just a few years ago.
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The extra weight of additional banners, perhaps? 😁
 
These renovations weren’t supposed to start until after the end of this coming season.

The renovations will be ongoing until finished in 2027 (same end year as earlier intended). They won’t affect &1 the actual 2025-26 season.

&1 I guess the preseason phase of the renovations had to be done to assure this outcome. There might be other considerations (cost effectiveness, availability, income generation, etc.)
 
Bald Husky said:
Yeah, I suppose they could hold it in the student center, bringing in temporary baskets, but the players can only shoot underhand. Bummer, always look forward to this event.
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First Night does not have to include a game. I always thought it was developed to introduce the team and gain publicity. Seemed to be a key part of the recruiting process to demonstrate how strong the fan base is to recruits. UConn has always had a very creative, well managed program. Why couldn't another option be developed? Opportunity lost?
 
Bald Husky said:
Yeah, I suppose they could hold it in the student center, bringing in temporary baskets, but the players can only shoot underhand. Bummer, always look forward to this event.
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In the digital world we now live in, packing a gym is no longer mandatory. While I always enjoyed watching and hearing the reactions of students and other fans, there are other options to have a 500–1000-person event that is broadcast throughout the US. Probably would allow for a more professionally produced team introduction/celebration as well as better video clips and sound bites that would assist recruiting. As I mentioned in another post, was this a lost opportunity to show off UConn's creativity and capabilities?
 
BobbyJ said:
So you actually believe that a few 17-18 year old recruits are seriously concerned about the production value of a bunch of loud videos, music, and noise while the players jump around and socialize on the floor? Really? You obviously have no idea what a recruiting visit entails for these kids or what matters to the students at a pep rally.
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I am not saying it is a huge factor, but part of the mix. Along with the coaches, the players, the facilities, the dorms, the weather, the rural campus, the championship history etc. We probably haven't lost a recruit that was on the fence just because of First Night, but I think it is possible that we could. We want to make a good impression on every aspect of the recruiting visit, including First Night, so if that is a weak link, why not fix it.

As for the specific gripes, I won't go back and rehash them in detail, but suffice to say the First Night threads for several years have included numerous posts regarding problems. Probably most on those threads thought there were significant problems with the production, but that it wasn't that big a deal. Others like me thought it was a more serious issue. Regardless, it has been part of the debate for several years.

As for the cause of this particular cancellation, as Husky Nan has posted it had to do with renovations. I hope we have future First Nights we can be proud of, think major changes are necessary for that to happen, and if no changes are made at least question whether it should be continued as is. Status quo should not be acceptable IMO for a class organization.
 
oldhusky said:
I am not saying it is a huge factor, but part of the mix. Along with the coaches, the players, the facilities, the dorms, the weather, the rural campus, the championship history etc.
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I can’t imagine actually going to this or any other pep rally. Too old for anything that loud. And I have no interest in watching a broadcast of anything other than the player intros. All the rest is for the players and the students to enjoy, not folks like me.

One thing that strikes me in your remarks is the aspect of recruiting out-of-state students for a rural campus. ‘College’ has evolved a lot over the last half century. It used to be that urban campuses had an advantage because there were lots of things to do off campus within walking distance. Nowadays the areas around urban campuses are a bit of a wasteland for students — either catering to an older crowd or the areas around campus are too gritty to be safe.

I focus on out-of-state students because they are more dependent on finding resources nearby than the local kids are, especially at breaks and holidays. And lots of our recruits are not local. Our daughter went to Haverford and found it turned into a ghost town at those times, and if she didn’t feel like paying to fly home she’d be stuck practically camping out in an empty dorm. No services running on campus and no useful shops nearby.

Anyway, the point is recruits do need to get a chance to see this sort of thing too, if they haven’t already seen it on their official visit.
 
oldhusky said:
I am not saying it is a huge factor, but part of the mix. Along with the coaches, the players, the facilities, the dorms, the weather, the rural campus, the championship history etc. We probably haven't lost a recruit that was on the fence just because of First Night, but I think it is possible that we could. We want to make a good impression on every aspect of the recruiting visit, including First Night, so if that is a weak link, why not fix it.

As for the specific gripes, I won't go back and rehash them in detail, but suffice to say the First Night threads for several years have included numerous posts regarding problems. Probably most on those threads thought there were significant problems with the production, but that it wasn't that big a deal. Others like me thought it was a more serious issue. Regardless, it has been part of the debate for several years.

As for the cause of this particular cancellation, as Husky Nan has posted it had to do with renovations. I hope we have future First Nights we can be proud of, think major changes are necessary for that to happen, and if no changes are made at least question whether it should be continued as is. Status quo should not be acceptable IMO for a class organization.
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1) How is it a weak link? UConn invites less recruits for OVs including First Night than most other schools and gets about 90% of the kids that come to it. They don't waste the time and money on kids that they don't already know they have a very good chance of getting. First Night is a very small part of the recruiting process, it's more a culmination than anything. The main work has been done far in advance of this pep rally.
2) What changes would you make? Bring in a jazz quartet or orchestra and make Auriemma wear a tuxedo to please old fans and professors? This is nothing but a pep rally to get students hyped up for the season.
3) If the way it's being run wasn't acceptable to Auriemma and the AD, they would have made changes long before now don't you think? I believe they have a good handle on who this thing is for and get feedback from those people that matter. And that doesn't include fans watching a computer stream.
 
BobbyJ said:
1) How is it a weak link? UConn invites less recruits for OVs including First Night than most other schools and gets about 90% of the kids that come to it. They don't waste the time and money on kids that they don't already know they have a very good chance of getting. First Night is a very small part of the recruiting process, it's more a culmination than anything. The main work has been done far in advance of this pep rally.
2) What changes would you make? Bring in a jazz quartet or orchestra and make Auriemma wear a tuxedo to please old fans and professors? This is nothing but a pep rally to get students hyped up for the season.
3) If the way it's being run wasn't acceptable to Auriemma and the AD, they would have made changes long before now don't you think? I believe they have a good handle on who this thing is for and get feedback from those people that matter. And that doesn't include fans watching a computer stream.
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Regarding point 1) I actually agree with much of that. It does tend to be the end of the process, less are invited than other schools, and maybe we do get 90% of those that attend. But it's not over until they commit, and Robertson is at least a recent example of one we thought we had a very good chance for than picked Duke instead, not long after her First Night experience.

As for point 2), most know I am not talking about music or clothing here. It is very disorganized, poorly run, numerous technical failures, interviewing people while action is happening on the court and on and on. Even pep rallies can be and should be well organized and run.
The specific changes would be taking control of the event totally away from whoever has run it the last few years. That probably means ruffling a few feathers with student organizations, but they have been incompetent for three years in a row IMO.

Regarding point 3), I don't think the athletic department has much if anything to do with it, that's the problem. They might not want to rock the boat with this being viewed as a student run event. There is no way to fix it without pissing off and criticizing the ones who run it now, and maybe Geno doesn't consider it a big deal either, I don't know.

Regardless I have explained my point of view as much as I care to, and was fully aware many would disagree, but I don't think I am a lone wolf on this issue either. At least in terms of people being frustrated with the production value and organization and wanting to see major improvements, I think quite a few fans were in that camp.
 
oldhusky said:
Regarding point 1) I actually agree with much of that. It does tend to be the end of the process, less are invited than other schools, and maybe we do get 90% of those that attend. But it's not over until they commit, and Robertson is at least a recent example of one we thought we had a very good chance for than picked Duke instead, not long after her First Night experience.

As for point 2), most know I am not talking about music or clothing here. It is very disorganized, poorly run, numerous technical failures, interviewing people while action is happening on the court and on and on. Even pep rallies can be and should be well organized and run.
The specific changes would be taking control of the event totally away from whoever has run it the last few years. That probably means ruffling a few feathers with student organizations, but they have been incompetent for three years in a row IMO.

Regarding point 3), I don't think the athletic department has much if anything to do with it, that's the problem. They might not want to rock the boat with this being viewed as a student run event. There is no way to fix it without pissing off and criticizing the ones who run it now, and maybe Geno doesn't consider it a big deal either, I don't know.

Regardless I have explained my point of view as much as I care to, and was fully aware many would disagree, but I don't think I am a lone wolf on this issue either. At least in terms of people being frustrated with the production value and organization and wanting to see major improvements, I think quite a few fans were in that camp.
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1) Roberson was a nice young recruit (although now a ACL victim) who made her choice based on UConn's depth chart and to a degree, Duke's academic rep and opportunity for early PT. Not because of dissatisfaction with the pep rally.
2) UConn wouldn't take control of the event from themselves. The whole thing is produced and run by a partnership between the university and Powerstation Events, a Conn. based event production company. You can be sure that UConn has complete control over the content of this show. It's not a student run event and anyone who thinks it is is mistaken. As I said, if Auriemma, Benedict, or the university had any problem with any of it, it would have been changed by now.
3) As for those fans wanting major improvements, they obviously are not a factor in the University's decision making on this.
 

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